Public Programs

Engineer and Invent

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 8

Engineering

,

Festival

Step into the shoes of an engineer as you investigate, experiment, and develop solutions to real-world problems. Tweak the blades on a wind turbine to efficiently harness the power of the wind. Construct a working hydraulic arm to explore the strength of water-powered machines. Flip the switch on the world of electricity, as you explore circuits and bring your motorized creations to life. Build bridges, towers, or whatever you can imagine with metal, paper, or wood. Stations include: hydraulics, wind turbines, circuitry, wobble bots, bridges, Keva planks, and bionix blocks.

Math Around the World

Grades:

age 2

-

grade 8

Mathematics

,

Festival

Take a mathematical trip around the world! Timeless games from many areas of the globe are offered to challenge students' skills in using probability, logic, and strategy. From Native American Game Sticks to Lo-Shu Puzzles of China, students exercise their ability to focus and problem-solve: traits necessary for succeeding in math. Maps as well as historical information blend social studies and geography with mathematics. Station instructions are also available in Spanish.

Topics:

Geometry, Logic and Strategy, Mental Math, Networks, Probability.

Related Next Generation Science Standards

Common core mathematical practice: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, attend to precision.

Fees and Details

At Your Site

Enrollment

150 per session maximum

Time

50 minutes

Cost

$905 for two sessions $1,100 for three sessions

Adult volunteers required: Adult volunteers required: 12

Build It!

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 6

Mathematics

,

Festival

One of our most popular festivals, Build It! brings out the engineer and architect in everyone, with math at the core. Participants exercise their design, problem-solving, and spatial skills by constructing, in both two and three dimensions, everything from tessellations to bridges. We bring the building materials; you bring the creativity!

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, structure, and function. Common core mathematical practice: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, construct viable arguments, and critique the reasoning of others.

Fees and Details

At Your Site

Enrollment

150 per session maximum

Time

50 minutes

Cost

$905 for two sessions $1,100 for three sessions

Adult volunteers required: Adult volunteers required: 12-16

Wizard's Lab

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 12

Physical Science

,

Festival

A ball floats and spins in midair, fingers pass through a seemingly solid object, words whispered into a metal can are heard over 10 feet away â€” these are just a few of the weird, wondrous, hands-on exhibits found in the Wizard's Lab! As "science wizards," students explore the almost magical properties of matter and energy, participate in high-voltage and subzero experiments, and figure out how things really work in the fun-, fact-, and phenomenon-filled world of physics.

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 6

Physical Science

,

Science Show

Can you shrink a balloon down to nearly nothing and then instantly restore it to its full size? Make fog billow out of a beaker, or turn a flask purple with a fleck of iodine? How about crushing a green plant to powder, or shattering an onion as you would a drinking glass? All this, and more, is possible when matter, energy, and students interact in the phase-changing, mind-bending world of solids, liquids, and gases!

For an additional $125, 25-minute sessions for grades K-1 may be added to programs at your site.

$820 for two sessions$995 for three sessions$125 for adding special 25-minute assembly for grades K-1

Flames, Flares, and Explosions: The Science of Fire

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 8

Physical Science

,

Science Show

This program will set your students' scientific curiosity ablaze. From the beginning of time, humans have marveled at fire. But how is it made? What is a fuel, and how does it burn? Learn about early fire-making tools and the three basic elements needed for fire. See how various fuels ignite and behave; and find out if different gases, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and helium, will combust. Students also gain an understanding of how to prevent and control fires. With action-packed experiments, this show ends with a bang! Fire safety is emphasized throughout the program.

For an additional $125, one 25-minute session for grades K-1 may be added to programs at your site.

$820 for two sessions$995 for three sessions$125 for adding special 25-minute assembly for grades K-1

Electrifying Science: The Magic of Electricity

Grades:

grade K

-

grade 8

Physical Science

,

Science Show

Experience a science so electrifying that it literally makes students' hair stand on end! Marvel and join in as electricity levitates objects in midair, sets them ablaze, or lights them up from across the room. And look out when the lightning flies in our spectacular, high-voltage finale!

For an additional $125, more lighthearted 25-minute sessions for grades K-1 may be added to programs at your site.

$820 for two sessions$995 for three sessions$125 for adding special 25-minute assembly for grades K-1

Engineering Artbots

Grades:

grade 3

-

grade 12

Engineering

,

Workshop

Students are introduced to engineering and motion as they go through iterative prototyping to build and test LEGO artbots. They observe and compare how their motorized contraptions perform and discuss their design process.

$320 for Preschool
$395 for K–2
$500 for Grade 3 and up
Add the 3-D movie for $50 per classroom

Constellations Tonight

Grades:

grade 3

-

grade 6

Planetarium-Space Science

,

Workshop

Students explore the night sky, noticing constellations and hearing about star mythologies from several cultures. They then learn to use a simple star map to find the season's most prominent constellations in our Planetarium's sky. They observe how the constellations appear to move as the night passes, and see what galactic treasures can be found among the stars. They take their maps home for finding the same constellations in the real night sky.

Topics:

Constellations, Sky Maps, Mythology.

Related Next Generation Science Standards

DCI: Changing position of stars at different times–Grade 5. Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns.

Fees and Details

At The Hall

At Your Site

Enrollment

16 minimum32 maximum

25 per session maximum

Time

10:00 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1:40 p.m.1 hour

50 minutes

Cost

$320 for Preschool
$395 for K–2
$500 for Grade 3 and up
Add the 3-D movie for $50 per classroom

$600 for two sessions$900 for three sessionsAdditional travel fees apply to outreach programs outside of Berkeley.

Bubble-ology

Grades:

grade K

-

grade K

Physical Science

,

Workshop

What's inside a soap bubble? Are bubbles always the same shape? Can you shake hands with a friend through a bubble wall? Can you make a bubble by using strings and straws, or with a strawberry basket? Young "bubble-ologists" investigate these questions at a variety of learning stations and share their discoveries. Everyone gets a turn to step inside a giant bubble.

Offered in Spring on 1st and 3rd Fridays. For Age 3-5 and Grade K.

Topics:

Experimenting, Observing, Predicting.

Related Next Generation Science Standards

Science and Engineering Practices: Constructing explanations, planning and carrying out an investigation.

Fees and Details

At The Hall

Enrollment

12 minimum25 maximum

Time

Fridays only10:00 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1:40 p.m.1 hour

Cost

$320 for Preschool
$395 for K–2
$500 for Grade 3 and up
Add the 3-D movie for $50 per classroom